A couple of questions before I buy.

rdouglass · #1 January 19th, 2004, 09:47 PM

For me, the complexity was a big draw in the beginning - "I just got Physics Level II; now what kinda' goodies will that tech give me?" Learning the details of the game was a lot of fun. The depth that others spoke of is there IMO.

Secondly, is all the great mods being produced by fans (who are almost co-developers in their own rights). As previously stated, never the same game twice. And reguarding the AI; even the "bad" AI was challenging at first. Now even as an experienced player, there are a few AI mods that are still a challenge.

Now some other games I've played, you only have to click "Next Turn" to win.....won't mention which ones....

IMO, the most productive $45 "gaming" dollars I ever spent....

PvK · #2 January 19th, 2004, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ttomm46:
...
My questions are :!1, one reviewer claimsit's hard to even finish a game of SE4..Is this true.

Depends on the settings. Finishing a small quadrant with only a couple of AI's at an easier setting than your own skill level doesn't take long, especially if you let the computer resolve most or all of the tactical battles.

A large game can take a very long time, although it's also up to you when to decide it's over. Many players play games up to a point and then decide to start another, but don't seem to see this as a problem.

Quote:

Next It's 44.95 which is a pretty fair Investment.Is it worth that much?

Yes it's quite worth it, if it's your kind of game.

Quote:

...Is it easy to learn and immersive?

Easy to learn - depends on your gaming skills. If you're new to computer games, or not a fan of detailed strategy games, then it's probably pretty complicated and might take some effort to learn. If you are a strategy game fan, then you'll enjoy learning it, and appreciate all the varied stuff in the game, and find it very immersive.

Everyone has their own tastes, though. If you're enjoying the demo a lot, though, it's a good bet you'll really like the game and be happy you bought the full Version.

As for the AI being weak... it can be easy to beat once you've mastered the game and played the AI and learned how to beat it. The difficulty depends on the settings, start position, and mods. There are mods which make it more difficult to beat the AI. And I wonder how many months of play it takes the average new player to get to the point where the AI seems weak - I expect quite a few.

PvK

Master Belisarius · #3 January 20th, 2004, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

Sure it does! It can see what is on your planets (facilities and cargo), so it can try to determine whether it is a good or bad idea to attack.

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure about this point, althougt know that some people reported this behavior. Anyway I have not elements to refute you.

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

You can give it bonuses to construction and production,

Sure, but it's an option. In games like Moo, Moo2 and Pax Imperia, the AI ALWAYS knew where my fleet were placed... and then, attacking the unprotected planets.

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

which is a big factor in the cheating employed by most (all?) AIs in TBS games.

Agree here.

In my previous post, forget to said that the AI is only competitive for experienced players, in small galaxies.

Finally, an element to support my point that the AI can offer a fight: a guy lost a KOTH game because the AI killed him.

ttomm46 · #4 January 20th, 2004, 05:36 AM

Hi

They just lowered the price today so i'm going for it....

completed the tutorial which i couldn't do with the SE3 demo.....Just too much reading.

Thanks

Captain Kwok · #5 January 20th, 2004, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ttomm46:
They just lowered the price today so i'm going for it....

That's great. I know you won't regret it!

gregebowman · #6 January 20th, 2004, 05:45 PM

As some probably have deferred from some of my Posts, I'm a cheapskate. If it's over probably $20, then I will wait for the price to come down. But I got so frustrated over the demo, that I did pay the $45 + the postage, and I haven't regretted a penny of that yet. This is a great game, and so moddable, that if you ever finish one game, there's about a dozen mods to try after that. And some of these mods get constantly updated. Also, this forum is so good at helping you understand the game. If I had a question, all I had to do was post it, and you'll get a reply probably in the same day. So I'm glad you're buying this game.